Declan Dunn & The Case Of The Mystery Man
by Medie
Summary: Declan has a new mystery. Does Peggy have a new boyfriend...or not?


Disclaimers: Well, since Santa didn't answer my wish, I don't own these  
guys...the Mysterious Ways gang belongs to their production company and Dave  
Richman belongs to Dee Henderson.  
  
Category: Peggy/Other Romance. Declan/Miranda UST. Crossover with the Dee  
Henderson novel "Danger In The Shadows."  
  
Spoilers: None for Mysterious Ways, some for the novel Danger In The Shadows  
by Dee Henderson  
  
Summary: Declan has a new mystery. Peggy's apparent new boyfriend.  
  
Author's note: This format's an experiment for me. It's a bit of a  
departure. Instead of one steadily flowing story it's a collection of brief  
scenes.  
  
Declan Dunn & The Case Of The Mystery Man  
by M  
------  
"Peggy's been actin' different."  
  
Miranda lifted her gaze to look at him. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Peg. She's been acting...." Declan fished for the right description.  
"Really....chipper."  
  
"Chipper?"  
  
"Chipper."  
  
"Peggy?"  
  
"Peggy."  
  
"Chipper?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Weird."  
  
"Totally."  
  
Miranda sat back. "Chipper how?"  
  
He shrugged, flopping down onto the couch with her and Mole. "I dunno.  
*Chipper*. Always has this...look on her face." He tried to imitate it and  
the resulting expression was so comical Miranda fought back laughter.  
  
"She's in love."  
  
His jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Peggy's in love." She repeated slowly.  
  
"Peggy?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"In love."  
  
"Yep."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Girl thing."  
  
"*Girl thing*?!"  
  
"Yep." She returned her attention to her textbook and Declan sighed.  
  
Conversation over.  
  
-----  
  
Roses.  
  
Somebody's sent Peggy roses.  
  
The card was gone.  
  
She had the smile again.  
  
He was curious. Really curious.  
  
She hadn't said a word about who her mystery man was. She hadn't even said  
if there was a mystery man yet. All he had was Miranda's assertion that  
Peggy was in love.  
  
But still...  
  
He was curious.  
  
----------  
  
  
She was definitely in love.  
  
Guy's name was Dave. He knew that much. Name was Dave, and going by the  
voice on the answering machine, he was English.  
  
English.  
  
Hmpf.  
  
Well, he didn't sound too 'British' anyway. That was a point in his favor.  
One anyway.  
  
"Hurts Peg; he's a dead man."  
  
--------  
  
"This guy *cannot* be real." Declan protested, Miranda watching him in  
bemusement as he paced by. "Nobody's this prefect." he held up a hand,  
ticking off details. "Ambassador for a father, award-winning author for a  
sister *and* he's an FBI agent who grew up in England and has his own  
private jet!"  
  
Tucking her legs beneath her, Miranda rested her head on her palm, holding  
out her free hand. "Declan, c'mere."  
  
Obediently, for once, he did as instructed." What?"  
  
"Peggy's a big girl. She doesn't need a big brother checking out her dates."  
One shoulder lifted in an elegant shrug. "Besides, Dave's a nice guy."  
  
"You've *met* him?"  
  
"Uh huh." She affirmed. "Tall, dark, handsome, adores Peggy."  
  
"The look?"  
  
"Big time. Lights up when she walks in."  
  
"Wow."  
  
Miranda nodded. "Yep."  
  
"Nice, huh?"  
  
"Nice."  
  
"Gentleman?"  
  
She picked up on the double entendre and directed a stern look at him. "I  
didn't ask about their sex life, Declan. That's private. Besides, I think he  
's a Christian."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"Declan, you can't tell on sight. But he gives off the 'vibe'." she  
gestured. "And he's good for her."  
  
His cheeks pinked. "Yeah, I know I've been a little..."  
  
"Nuts?"  
  
"Overprotective." Declan finished with a glare of his own. "But it's been a  
rough few years for Peg and..." He sighed. "I just don't want to see her get  
hurt." He leaned back against the couch and peered over at her. "At least  
she didn't see me go all nutty?"  
  
"As opposed to the Warren incident?" Miranda teased dryly.  
  
He winced. "Yeah." Lowering his hands from where they'd been covering his  
face, he looked over at her. "Was it..."  
  
"Humiliating? No. Just *really* embarrassing." Resting a hand on his  
shoulder, she offered a small smile. "Declan, it's...good, that you care so  
much, just..."  
  
"Lay off the overboard stuff?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ok." he smiled faintly then perked up. "So, what else do you know?"  
  
"Cold water's not hot and never order Sushi in towns of less than eight  
thousand." Miranda replied, deadpan.  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?" he questioned with a confused look.  
  
"You asked what else I knew." She closed her textbook with a firm thump.  
"You didn't specify what." Slipping the book into her bag, she shouldered  
the strap and stood up. "I'm hungry."  
  
Miranda was halfway out the door before it dawned on Declan that she meant  
for *him* to go too.  
  
"Hey, wait up!" Racing after her, he barely managed to grab his jacket off  
the rack before speaking again. "So, if I just asked you a random question,  
you'd know the answer?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Ok, if you know so much, how much does a pound of nails way on Pluto?'  
  
"Declan..."  
  
"You said *random*!"  
  
  
Finis 


End file.
